A flexible tube in gas and plumbing may be assembled with a valve in order to receive or supply a fluid or gas to the valve or fitting or may be assembled with another tube to provide an extension in overall length of the gas supply or plumbing. A typical method of making such an assembly involves assembling the flexible tube with a fitting body using a flexible tube connector arrangement and then assembling the assembly of the tube and the fitting body to the valve or another assembly of another tube and the fitting body. The flexible tube connector arrangement may include a hose band screw, or a hose coupling using a guide ring and a compression nut or a one touch nipple hose connection etc. Such an assembly is rather easy to achieve for low pressure applications as only minimal outer surface area of the flexible tube has to be compressed.
In applications involving relatively high pressures a larger portion of the outer surface area of the flexible tube needs to be compressed. Further, a large amount of force is required to compress the larger portion under, for example, a clamp. Thus it may be necessary that a pneumatic or hydraulic device be used. Further, a size of the larger portion is determined during the design phase and during the assembly of the flexible tube and the fitting body, as adhering to the size of the larger portion is imperative for a proper assembly. This poses a challenge if the assembly of the flexible tube and the fitting body has to be achieved in field or at a large scale, for example, in production line.
In light of the discussion above, there is clearly a need for an improved tube connector arrangement and a method for assembling a flexible tube that overcomes one or more of the above mentioned deficiencies.